Humidor



Aug. 9, 1932.,

R. H. MCKEE HUMIDOR Filed April ll. 1929 atented ug. 9, i932 vmirra n. maar; our JERSEY cnr, New amasar Application led April 11,

or the like which contain articles or products that are to be maintained in a. humid state and are to be prevented from becoming dry. Although my invention is applicable to a variety of industries, it will be described with particular reference to the tobacco and allied industries. Cigar manufacturers, for instance, have refused to sell retailers more cigars than can be sold within a relatively short period of time. If a retailer buys too large a supply, the boxes of cigars stand on the shelf for so long a time that the cigars tend to-become dry and lose their quality. When dried cigars have been sold to the consuming public, the cigars have been'unsatisfactory and have fallen into disfavor and the the like have been faced with the aforesaid problem for a long time and in spite 0f the many proposals made to solve this problem, all attempts thus far made as far as I am aware, have been unsatisfactory for one reason or other. Among the more important suggested proposals were absorbents and chemicals. Absorbents were intended, as is well known, to hold water in the liquid state and to give off the water vapor to the surrounding atmosphere. In .addition to other objections, a humidor of the absorbent type could not be incorporated withina container such as a box of cigars. Attempts have been made to use chemicals for maintaining the at- `mosphere within show casesor the like, in a humid condition by placing a mass of chemicals in an open jar or vesselwhich was posibrands of those cigars have a tendency to get a bad reputation.'y Manufacturers of cigars or i 'made of'cardboard, coated blotter, or the like.

tioned inside of the show case. In practice it i929. serial 1ro. 354,380.

I have discovered a compact chemical packet which is suitable for insertion in a cigar box or the like for preserving a humid condition therein and which is not subject to the shortcomings of prior humidifying devices. My invention also contemplates providing a compact humidifying packet which is portable, sanitary, odorless, and dustless and which is simple and economical to manufacture and easy to use. i

The invention, as well as other objects and features thereof, will be readily understood from the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing, in which s' G5 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a humidifying packet embodying my invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken on the lines 2 2 and -3-`3 respectively, of

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 2 of a modified embodiment of 'my invention, and

Fig. 5illustrates, somewhat diagrammatically, a cigar boxprovided with one of my new humidifying packetsthe end of the box being broken away to illustrate internal arrangement of' parts. i

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, the numeral 1 designates a packet-which can be The packet 1 may have any appropriate shape but I prefer to use a thin rectangular box or casing which has a closed back or rear portion or wall 2, closed side portions 3, and closed top and bottom portions 4. In the front face 8 5 of the box I prefer to provide a plurality of Ventilating apertures or windows 6 of suitable shape such as a circular cross section. Although the aforesaid portions may be united to each other in any suitable manner, I have illustrated the box as being made of one piece of cardboard and as being united at side joints 7, 7 and top joint 4 by a convenient binding agent such as glue or the like.

Within packet 1I an aperture lining or covering 8 is positioned on the inner surface of front face in such a Way as to cover the ventilating apertures or ports 6. This .eovering is preferably made of one single sheet of material which is bonded to the front portion m0 5 of the packet by a cementitious substance like glue, paste or similar material. The

n constitution of the aperture covering is such seu that it is porous or permeable enough to permit the passage or diffusion of Water vapor but of fine enough mesh to prevent the dusting out of solid material contained inside of the packet. In practice' I employ a fibrous material for the aperture covering 8 and I prefer to use a tissue paper or a closely Woven fabric like fine cheesecloth, muslin and the like. When a lining or covering is pasted over the apertures, a multiplicity of passages is provided forthe free flow of Water vapor Without dusting of fine particles of solid material. This arrangement provides a dustproof packet which is' nevertheless capable of permitting the diffusion of water vapor from its interior. i e

Before a side or top portion of the packet is sealed a charge of humidifying material 9 is introduced into the interior of the packet. The humidifying material which I prefer to use is a'solid which is odorless, free from deleterious, detrimental or deteriorating ef feet, non-poisonous, and sanitary. Among the materials I have found to be suitable for this purpose are Glaubers salt (NaQSGi,

10H2() sodium phosphate (Na2CO3,' 10H20 and sodium carbonate (NazSOa, 10H20). In other Words, salts containing,

considerable amounts ofwater of hydration. 'f

Thesesalts give oil'. all or a part of their moisture -to dry a'ir and will take up moisture from Wet air when in a dehydrated or artial- 1y dehydrated state. For example, G aubers salt gives a relative humidity at temperatures normally prevailing within inhabitedquarters of about Sodium phosphate gives a relative humidity of about 65% but after a loss of one fourth of its water it gives only about 30%. Sodium carbonate gives a relative humidity of about 65% until nine-ten`ths of its water has been removed, and then a very much loivery humidity. I

Of these salts I prefer to use Glaubers salt because it gives a practically constant humidity. To ill'a packetor container-.such as describedl hereinabovev which is about 8 long, about 2f high and` about lof l thick (4 cubic inches), I luse approximately 100 grams ofGlaubers salt (Na2SO4, 10H20). This amount lof salt contains about 56 grams of Waterwhichis potentially available in the charged packet as a humidifying agent.

In Fig. 4 a modified humidifying packet -is exhibited whichis the same as the one described hereinabove with the exception that the interior is partly or Wholly lined with a coating 10 of blotting paper or the like. Such a packet would be capable of absorbing any surplus moisture or solution, if the packet were subjected to heat. This arrangement would prevent a possibility of moisture ldraining or seeping out of the packet and injuring articles 'with which such moisture comes into contact. "i

Instead of using a coating of blotting paper for lining the packet, an absorbent material such as saw-dust, paper pulp orfthe like can be added and mixed with the Glaubers salt which is used to charge the packet.

` tion with a box of cigars. In this illustration I have depicted humidifying packet las itting in the cigar box between the'rontof` When the box and the cut ends of the cigars.

my packet is used With a cigar box having a i volume of about 1,400 c. c., the packet contains suiiicient Water vapor to change the relative humidity within the box from approxi- A .mately 15% to 60% about 5,000 times. In

other Words the ,box can be opened and closed about 5,000 times Without the cigars drying out. Air, of course, is continually leaking in and out of the cigar'box, and my humiditying packet 'automatically maintains the cigars and the interior of the box in a humid condition and controls the moisture concentration in the cigar box as it standson the dealers shelves or as it is opened'and closed.`

Anprdin'ary cigar carries from 0.25 to l 1.00 g. of moisture depending upon its size and the Vcharacter of the tobacco Accordingly a container such as indicated hereinabove would be suicient fully to take care of the moisture vfrom a box of fifty cigars. 'Indeed it is i'ar more than that because the loss oi moisture fromithe cigar occurs only when the air about it becomesddry, that is, of low relative humidity.

Although I have described my invention Withparticular reerence to cigars, it is to be observed that the invention is equally applicable to other tobacco products such as ,smokin-g tobacco, cigarettes and the like.

My invention can also be used in a box used `for candy thereby preventing the candy from drying out and becoming hard in vvinter time and in summer from absorbing misture and becoming damp. For candy this is of much less importance for chocolates than it is for i' bon bons and other types of candy with a sugar surface, coconut candies or similar candies not protected by a layer of fatty material such as a layer of chocolate. i

In certain cases, say in summer, or use with candy, it is possible to arrange thelk dev ice so that it could absorb considerable moisture and do so promptly. This could be accomplished by mixing some of the crys tallized salt (Glaubers salt) with a portion of the corresponding anhydrous salt (NaZSOi), and, thereby produce a mixture which is capable not only of giving off moisture but of absorbing moisture. For use in summer with candy, sodium phosphate in the anhydrous form is particularly advantageous.

While I have given a specific example or" my improved process merely by way of illustration, it is to be understood that I am not to be confined to the exact steps nor the specific reagents given as they are to be regarded only as illustrative and typical. Various modications may be made Without departing from the nature of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

claim:

1. A compact humidifying packet for incorporation Within containers containing articles to be maintained in a relatively moist condition comprising a hollow rectangular casing having thin fibrous walls and narrow cross section, a plurality of Ventilating and dust-proof ports provided in the front wall of said casing, a coating of blotting paper lining i a portion of the interior of said casing, a fine meshed, thin, fibrous lining located Within said casing and bonded to the inner face of the front wall with cementitious substance, and a charge of Glaubers salt provided within said casing and capable of evolving -Water vapor when the packet is placed in an atmosphere'of low relative humidity without dust passing through said lining.

2. A compact humidifying packet for incorporation Within containers containing articles to be maintained in a relatively moist i casing having thin cardboard Walls and narcondition comprising a hollow rectangular row cross section, a plurality of ventilating and dust-proof ports provided in the ront wall of said casing, absorbent material provided within the interior of said casing to absorb surplus moisture, a fine mashed, thin, fibrous lining located within-said casing and bonded tothe inner face of the front Wall with cementitious substance, and a charge of Glaubers salt provided Within said casing and capable of evolving Water vapor when the packet is placed in an atmosphere of low relative humidity Without dust passing through said lining.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

- RALPH H. MCKEE. 

